Four arrested for role in Niantic stabbing incident

Izaskun E. Larrañeta

Four people have been arrested after an incident last summer at the Elms Inn in Niantic in which a man was stabbed.

Nicole LaRose, 19, of 9 Phillips Ave., Waterford, turned herself in Wednesday to state police in Montville, where she was charged with first-degree assault and second-degree assault. On Friday state police arrested Dylan Hollis, 19, of 39 Broad St. Ext., Groton, Joseph Perdomo, 21, whose last known address is 19 Raymond St., New London, and Justin Richards, 27, of 6 Anthony Road, New London, and charged them each with third-degree assault and breach of peace.

Accounts on what happened during the evening of June 23 at the rooming house differ, state police said in a warrant.

In one version given in the warrant, Hollis, Perdomo and Kyle Patrick, as well as another person identified as Chris, went to the Elms Inn to buy marijuana. Patrick told police that Hollis went into a room while he and Perdomo waited in the hallway. The person named Chris waited in the car. A short time later, Patrick recalled, he heard what he thought was a fight inside the room.

Patrick told police he saw Hollis fighting with an unknown male whom police would later identify as Joshua Thibeault. Patrick said he saw a man later identified as Justin Richards throw a bong at Perdomo. At that point, Patrick said he attempted to restrain Richards, the warrant said.

He said he and Richards were wrestling on the bed when he felt a sharp pain on the right side of his back. When he turned his head, he saw LaRose pull a knife out of his back, the warrant said.

Patrick said he ran out of the room and into the car. The group drove to a friend's house, and Patrick did not get medical attention until the next day. Patrick sustained a collapsed lung and was hospitalized, while Perdomo received stitches on his right elbow, the warrant said.

State police said Thibeault, Richards and LaRose voluntarily went to Troop E in Montville the day after the incident. Thibeault and Richards gave statements to police. LaRose declined.

In the second version of events recounted in the warrant, Thibeault said that arrangements were made with Hollis to buy a quarter-ounce of marijuana.

Thibeault said Hollis arrived at the room and immediately struck him in the face. He said four other men he did not recognize entered the room but ran out when they heard that one of them had been stabbed.

He said he, LaRose and Richards fled the apartment because they were afraid police were going to come, the warrant said.

Richards gave a similar account of what happened, adding that when the group fled the room, he attempted to close the door but was pinned between the door and the wall as Perdomo swiped a knife at him, the warrant said.

Richards said LaRose told him she grabbed the knife to get the men off him.

State police said they were unable to determine who actually began the violent incident, the warrant said.

LaRose is being held on $75,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court on Jan. 28.